A 30 stone man who shed a third of his body weight has been left with two stone of excess skin he claims is ruining his life.

James Jordan, 49, has battled with his size for decades and says the fact he must still wear size XXXXXXL T-shirts is soul-destroying.

Also a victim of anxiety, depression and social phobia, over the years he gradually grew more and more reclusive, only leaving his house 'once or twice a month' for almost 15 years.

Locked away from the world, his weight ballooned to 30 stone - and he needed an XXXXXXXXL size T-shirt.

James Jordan, 49, underwent weight loss surgery after reaching 30 stone (left). He lost 12st - but has been left with two stone of excess skin as his frame shrunk (right)

Also a victim of anxiety, depression and social phobia, over the years Mr Jordan gradually grew more and more reclusive, only leaving his house 'once or twice a month' for almost 15 years

Looking back, he said the pounds began to pile on when his ex-partner became pregnant with his daughter Victoria, now 30.

'From there, I just grew,' said Mr Jordan, of Chatham, Kent.

'Over the years, I became more and more reclusive. I only left the house once or twice a month, and that was only if I had someone with me. It didn't matter who, as long as I wasn't on own.

'I was paranoid that, if I went out, people would stare at me and judge me. A lot of it was in my head, but at 30 stone, I did get a few looks, which triggered my anxiety and I'd just want to go home.'

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However Mr Jordan claims it was not gorging on junk food that caused his weight gain.

He would go through periods of bingeing, but then starve himself for days afterwards, so his body would retain virtually every calorie in order to function.

'My doctors have since explained it to me, and it's a difficult one to get your head round, but I wasn't gaining wait through overeating,' he said.

'It was because I'd binge a large meal and then not eat for a couple of days. My body would think I was starving it, so when I did eat, it would store everything.

'It was also more down to portion sizes rather than eating the wrong thing.

'I've never been one for fast food or anything like that, but I'd do things like make a stew for the week, but then eat it all in one go.'

Finding himself at rock bottom, Mr Jordan went to his doctor for help in late 2013, and was offered a gastric bypass. Pictured above after surgery, he said of the excess skin: 'It's really frustrating - the skin is a constant reminder and it almost feels like I'm still the same size'

Finding himself at rock bottom, Mr Jordan went to his doctor for help in late 2013, and was offered a gastric bypass.

Before the surgery, he was put on a strict diet of just 500 calories a day for two weeks.

'That was difficult,' he recalled. 'Trying to haul 30 stone around on that little energy was tough.'

THE PROBLEM WITH EXCESS SKIN

Losing weight will be the answer to many people's prayers.

But they may not realise dramatic weight loss can have a deeply distressing side-effect: excess skin.

This hidden downside of losing weight occurs as a result of damage to the deeper layers of skin, the dermis, which contains two proteins: elastin, which helps it retract, and collagen, for strength.

When the skin is stretched too much through weight gain, these proteins tear and break, resulting in a loss of elasticity and strength.

Unfortunately, while losing weight causes the fat cells to lose their fat, the skin cannot retract.

It is linked unpleasant health problems, from infections to back pain.

Many patients patients develop an 'apron' of skin around the abdomen, and loose skin under the arms, chest and inner thighs.

This excess skin can cause a range of medical problems.

One of the most common is intertrigo — a bacterial, fungal, or viral infection that occurs often due to the difficulty in keeping these folds of excess skin clean and dry.

Patients also find the folds of skin make it difficult to exercise.

But surgery was far from straightforward - and he endured two failed attempts at keyhole surgery before finally undergoing a successful operation at St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, in December 2013.

During his recovery, Mr Jordan existed on a liquid diet, and the weight soon began to fall away.

Once he was able to eat solid food again, he completely transformed his diet and, to this day, eats healthy, freshly-cooked meals prepared from scratch.

He also ensures he strictly controls his portion sizes so as to maintain his current weight of 18 stone.

'I make sure I watch the amount I eat. I never want to go back to the way I was,' he said. 'Plus, because of the surgery, I've also now got a hernia just under my ribcage.

'If I eat too much, it could pop out.'

But there was a very unwelcome side-effect of his rapid weight loss - two stone 'apron' of excess skin around his stomach.

'It's really frustrating - the skin is a constant reminder and it almost feels like I'm still the same size,' he said.

'The way it sits over my thighs means it's so long I can't wear normal T-shirts. I'm still buying a size XXXXXXL to cover it even though I've lost all the weight.

'It spills over the top of my legs when I sit down. It makes me feel really uncomfortable, and it causes immense pain in my back and on my knees.'

Despite his best efforts, Mr Jordan has been told that he is unable to get funding for a tummy tuck operation on the NHS as it is classed as cosmetic surgery.

Therefore, if he is to overcome his demons with his size and move on for good, he has no choice but to pay for a private operation.

Mr Jordan as a child and right, with his sister. Having been refused funding for a tummy tuck on the NHS - as it is classed as cosmetic surgery - he is now fundraising to have the op privately

He has set up a GoFundMe page called 'Jim's abdominoplasty op fund' to help crowdfund the £7,500 he needs to finally begin rebuilding his life.

'I was really unsure about the page at first,' he said.

'I didn't want to attract any horrible comments. I know people will say it's my own fault for getting so large, but I'm trying to get back to full health, so eventually I closed my eyes and clicked "post".

'So far, everybody has been really supportive.

'Now, I've got a full-time job and I met my new partner, Julie, two years ago when I first started getting the courage to go out again.

'I'm slowly starting to bounce back, and getting the skin removed would be the final piece of the puzzle.'

A spokesperson from NHS Medway CCG said: 'We are unable to comment on specific cases, but a single criteria is in place across Kent and Medway CCGs for abdominoplasty and other body contouring procedures.

'A copy of the Referral and Treatment Policy can be found on the CCG's website. The criteria and rationale is detailed within this policy and is consistently applied to all cases.

'Clinicians can request funding for individuals that are eligible against the definitions of a 'rarity request' or an 'exceptionality request' as set out in the Policy and Operating Procedures for dealing with Individual Funding Requests.'